GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- A group of area business executives are
stepping in to help Grand Valley State University's Seidman College of
Business fill the gap left when the State of Michigan canceled the
Michigan Promise Scholarship and cut the Michigan Competitive
Scholarship awards in half.
The 33 executives are members of the Seidman College of
Business' Dean's Advisory Board. They have asked Seidman Dean H. James
Williams to divert part of their annual dues to a fund that will help
make up the difference for some of Grand Valley's neediest students.
Williams said the fund, which totals some $10,000, will be used
to provide awards to business students who had been awarded both
scholarships. "We want to focus on the students who lost both,
because that suggests that they were especially hard-hit by this
terrible cut," Williams said.
The Dean's Advisory Board is comprised of executives from
prominent companies who provide counsel to the Seidman College of
Business and help make sure the college's offerings are responsive to
the needs of area firms. "Many businesses — both locally and
nationwide — rely on Seidman College of Business ' highly skilled
graduates," board chair Mark Olesnavage said. "The board
decided we needed to step forward and help ensure that students get
the support they need in these challenging times."
Members of the board are: Dwane Baumgardner of Donnelly Corp.
(retired); Jeffery T. Bennett of Otterbase Technical Services; Carole
Bos of Bos & Glazier, P.L.C.; John H. Bultema III of Fifth Third
Bank West Michigan; John Canepa of Crowe Horwath LLP; Edward Clark of
American Seating Co.; Brian Cloyd of Steelcase, Inc.; Joseph A. Davio
of Comerica Bank; John DeMaria of Quoin Inc.; Harvey Gainey of Gainey
Corp.; Robert Grooters of R.G. Companies; Doyle Hayes of Pyper
Products Corp.; Thomas W. Hiller of BDO Seidman, LLP; Kevin Holloway
of Monsanto Co.; David Hoogendoorn of Ernst & Young, LLP; J.C.
Huizenga of Westwater Group; Dawn S. Johnson of Spartan Distributors;
Dorothy Johnson of Ahlberg Co.; Fred P. Keller of Cascade Engineering;
Robert L. (Buzz) Kersman of Lorin Industries (retired); Mark
Olesnavage of Hopen Life Sciences; Jon E. Pike of Beene Garter LLP;
David Reglin of Independent Bank West Michigan; Sharron Reynolds of
Huntington Bank (retired); Mary Ellen Rodgers of Deloitte and Touche,
LLP; John G. Russell of Consumers Energy, Nancy Skinner of Varnum
Consulting; Stephen VanAndel of Alticor, Inc.; James V. Walsh of
Meijer, Inc. (retired), Curt E. Wells of Huntington National Bank,
Michael G. Wooldridge of Varnum, Riddering, Schmidt, & Howlett,
LLP.
Area executives help GVSU business students
Nov 11, 2009
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